Thursday, March 29, 2012
Iconic Imagery
The Spielberg Face is just one example of a trademark/signature iconic image in films. In an era where so much of our experiences of the world are drawn from cinema, a great many of the strongest works of art are drawn from the world of cinema.
We've talked about the power of the Kuleshov Effect and how two images together serve not only to incorporate the audience into the filmmaking process but also to create a new relationship that never existed before the two images were combined. However, a single image (coupled with possible camera movement) can create a reaction so powerful that it becomes unforgettable.
For this blog assignment, I want you to find your favorite iconic image in cinema and tell us why this image is so powerful to you. Deconstruct its effect and tell us why you think it is so powerful. What is it saying? How did you discover this? Why do you think it effects you as much as it does? Tell us the story of this image and your involvement with it.
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I think one of the most iconic images in movies is from Apocalypse Now, when Mr. Kurtz is shown completely sheathed in darkness.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T-VAi2Xqq8
It is not iconic in the sense that it is easily recognizable, but that it stands out to me as an effective way to portray the character; so confused and lost that even the third-party (the audience) cannot definitely make out his figure. I was not aware of this until Mr. Worthington explained Heart of Darkness to my english class. Before, when I had seen the movie, I was just angry at Coppola for not allowing me to see Mr. Kurtz, the subject and climax of the film, but now it makes sense: the visual was deliberate and very well chosen.
An iconic image for me in cinema is in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers when Gandalf appears with reinforcements at the battle of Helms Deep. The image of him leading the men down the hill to the battle is very iconic and represents many different things. I think it ultimately represents the battle between good and evil. Gandalf is cast in a white light charging into the darkness of the orc army. He is a glimmer of hope in what seemed to be a battle that the good forces would surely lose. The glimmer of hope that he creates is what I believe makes the image so iconic. During the whole battle the viewer knows the that the good human/elf army is very outnumbered and will probably not survive the great numbers of the evil orc army. As soon as all hope seems to be lost Gandalf emerges and the viewer is given a sense of relief and hope that the forces of good will triumph over evil. I was one of those viewers that felt that sense of hope and relief as I saw Gandalf clash through the line of orcs into the battle. For this reason I believe the image is iconic because of the feelings it creates in the viewer.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL9vUjm2mIE
The most iconic image from my childhood comes from the movie Gridiron Gang. This is a movie about the start up of a football team in a jail for troubled kids of different ethnicity and gangs. Words don't do justice to emotion felt throughout the entire movie, but the I feel that the best image from the entire movie comes at 2:25 - 2:40 in this movie when Calvin makes a block for Willie. What may not seem like such a bold move considering both players are on the same team, it represents a friendship two boys from different gangs have made with each other, and the bond football brings amongst a team. Both lost family members because of each others respective gangs, however football unites the two troubled children. I feel that this shot when Calvin looks back at Willie affects me so much because football is something I really care about. I can't really explain the emotion of the shot without having watched the movie, but it is definitely in my top 3 movies of my childhood because of the life lessons taught constantly throughout the film.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=xjOHD4Xph_I
The most iconic image or images that I could remember or think of is from The Dark Knight. The movie is about Batman going through hard times while trying to capture the joker and keep the city safe. The scenes that I think are very powerful in the movie are the close ups of joker because it always meant something big was going to happen, wither he was about to blow up the ships and it went into a close up, also when he is in the jail and that scene starts off in the cell. But the biggest image of them all is I think at the end when Batman had just defeated the Joker and is standing on top of the building while the police cars off in the back ground getting ready to chase after him. but when it moves to the wide out is when it feels like it has the most effect for me.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8PxG5zvgOM
Hmmmm I can't think of what my FAVORITE moment in film is, but a really powerful one is in shawshank redemption, when the guy escapes and the jail keepers search his room and lift up the poster. It's really powerful because though he's been the main character the entire time, the audience has no idea what he's working on. It's about his dealing with being in prison, and we've been focusing on his adjustment to life in prison, while not even thinking to consider that maybe his certainty of his own innocence is driving him all along, and that maybe it can be the fuel for some elaborate escape plan. Also the cinematography is powerful. The perfect alignment and centered camera is strange and striking, which makes the discovery of his tunnel out of the prison more impacting
ReplyDeleteOne of the most iconic images in film for me is probably the opening of the Lion King when Simba is held up. When I saw this movie at a young age, it had an impact on me. It is the introduction of a main character and contrasting a small animal with an enormous world around him. The music at the beginning also brings attention from the audience and anticipation. When I see this opening, I still think that it is not only a great way to start the film, but also a very iconic image. I thought of this scene as the baptism to the world that eventually he will rule, although he is too young to understand what is happening around him. This scene has been replicated in many current TV shows and movies because of the widespread audience and the lasting image of Simba.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX07j9SDFcc at about 3 mins
For me, one of my favorite movies to watch as I grew up were the Lord of the Rings. Throughout the movie, I think there is a lot of iconic imagery; for example in the Two Towers, one of the most vivid scenes I have in my memory to this day is the one where Legolas slides down the stairs in the battle of Helms Deep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suVx_JZSc1s
ReplyDeletePrior to this scene, we see a lot of orc movements that make it seem like they have the upper hand in the battle, however, queued by the exciting, uplifting and dramatic music, we see Legolas slide down stairs on an orc shield, shooting a large number of orcs along the way, showing that no matter what the battle seems to be, always fight for what you believe in, because you can still accomplish amazing things even in the worst settings.
Another very iconic image in these movies was, of course, the ending, when Frodo and Sam are in Mount Doom just as they are about to destroy the ring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPpm07Pt9A0
Frodo, for several moments, dangles the ring over the magma of the volcano, however he does not drop it, even at the screams of Sam. Accompanied with slow motion shits, extreme close ups, and suspenseful music, I know it has me sitting on the edge of my seat every time I watch it, almost yelling with Sam just to drop the darn thing! However, the evil of the ring overpowers him, and after all their trouble, all the way they have travelled, all the years they were on this quest, he fails to discard the ring into the fires of Mordor, and instead chooses to keep it as his own. Also, as this is going on, we are switching back and forth with various cuts outside of Mordor, in front of the Black Gates where the final battle is taking place. It is obvious that the army of Mordor will overpower the army of men, only in a matter of time, so the longer Frodo waits, the more people are being killed in combat. Whenever I think of these movies, I think of this one almost instantly; whether it is because this is the end of the movie, because this is one of the most frustrating parts in the movie, or even because the calm, smooth slow motioned shots we see Frodo undertake inside such a dangerous and hostile setting that is smoking and burning around him. Whatever it is, there is no question this stands out as one of the best iconic images in the film itself.